Befriending a Monster
by moonservant
Summary: The Trio returned for their seventh year, but mysterious book decides Hermione is needed elsewhere. Sending her back in time, Hermione thinks she has found a solution for their problems. But some things are easier said than done. TRHG On Hiatus
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: Hey everyone! So, I've really have come to love the Tom/Hermione pairing and I think I can do better with the characters. I've done a lot of reading of other people's stories and realized my Tom was extremely out of character. I want to give this another go. Moreover, **__**A Meeting of Friends and Rivals**__** was a huge drop in my writing ability so I need to prove to myself that I'm not a terrible writer. So here this is! Please give me your honest opinions on this. No flames though, they make me cry. Not really but you get the point.**_

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter, I'm just borrowing them for a bit of fun.**

Hermione sighed as she watched Harry and Ron play yet another round of Wizard Chess. Sure, the last five games had been exciting, but really, this was too much. A person only had so much interest in them and hers was gone, and them some. She stood up and made her way to the exit.

"Where ya going?" Ron asked her as Harry tried to figure his way out of Ron's trap.

"The library," she told him simply.

"Okay, well be careful," he cautioned gently.

"Really Ronald, do you expect Death Eaters to just suddenly appear at Hogwarts? I know it has happened before, but after this last defeat, they are hurting. It's safe for now," she decided.

"He's still got a point though. We need constant vigilance!" Harry agreed with Ron and moving his knight hopelessly.

"You sound like Mad-eye, mate," Ron laughed.

"Not a bad thing at a time like this," Harry countered.

"Well, I'm going now if everyone has had a say in the matter," she laughed. She turned and got a few more feet before she was spun around. Ron kissed her gently and let her go.

"I love you," he told her before going back to his game.

"Love you too," she answered back with a shy smile. With a new bounce in her step, she left the common room. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she thought about how much her life has changed.

Last year had been such a drastic milestone. Snape killed Dumbledore, and Draco had shown his true colors. Harry learned about the Horcruxes and how he had to destroy them if he wanted the slightest chance of defeating Voldemort. It was a dark year and yet, not every change was negative.

At the end of the year, she and Ron got together. There had been a fondness there for a while, but finally Ron got the nerve to confess his feelings. It was the happiest moment of her life. They have been going strong now for five months, and that was saying something considering all they have been through recently. This last summer, they hunted down the bits of Voldemort's soul. It was not complete, but they had made a serious dent. After countless run-ins with Death Eaters, a couple attacks from dark creatures, a cursed pair of socks, and a whole lot of research, the Trio managed to destroy the locket, the cup, and Ravenclaw's pendent. All that remained was the elusive Gryffindor object and the snake. Well, that was not counting the twisted and corrupt bit of his dark soul that remained in his snake-like body.

Hermione looked up at the many floors above her as the staircase shifted. It was mind-blowing to think that this was her last year at the school. This was her home away from home and she had almost missed out on it. Still, if Harry had not given in and come back, she would have stayed by his side. Thankfully, Headmistress McGonagall was able to persuade Harry that a complete education was vital for his quest and she assured him that the Order would help him find what the last Horcrux is and its location. It was probably the best thing for Harry's health too. During their searches, he had lost quite a bit of weight from severe stress and lack of rest. Dark circles became a permanent feature on his worn face and once, he had come to the edge of a mental breakdown. Now though, he was back to some state of normality and was able to act like a normal teenager on occasion. He and Ginny even got back together. Overall, life was decent.

Hermione arrived in her sanctuary, the library, and wandered into the Restricted Section. Madame Pince had been informed that they were allowed complete access there so Hermione had no problems. She scanned the titles, looking for an interesting read, when an old, tattered book caught her eye. She pulled it off the shelf and tried to decipher the worn title. It was too battered for her to make out so she situated herself at her favorite table and opened the cover. A blinding ball of lavender light engulfed her and she was pulled out of her chair.

She hit the floor with a dull thud and a sharp pain shot through her back. For a moment she lay there, not wanting to move, but dignity finally took over and she pushed herself up into a sitting position. As she rubbed her neck, she looked around and noticed that she was not in the library anymore. It looked more like the dungeons actually. She flipped open the cover of the book she still held and noticed that it had only nine words in the entire thing. _Where you are needed, there I shall take you._ Nothing else was on any of the other pages. What was the point of this? Why in the world would someone have such a ridiculous book in a school library? Well it was not going to answer any of these questions so she decided to look around for the reason she was needed.

Nothing came to her as she made her way there the maze of dungeons and so she continued on up to the Entrance Hall. Still nothing came and she climbed the Grand Staircase in search of an answer. It did not come, but an amazing revelation did.

"What are you doing here?" a hauntingly familiar voice called from behind her. Hermione froze and slowly turned around, not believing her ears. However, her ears had never lied to her before and this was no exception.

"P-Professor Dumbledore?" she gasped in amazement. He was alive! Not only that, but he was younger too. His once silver hair and beard were mostly auburn with just hints of the metallic color. His trademark twinkling eyes were still able to pierce through her soul though.

"Do I know you?" he asked confused. She almost answered yes, but logic caught up with her and she knew he did not.

"Can I speak to you in private sir?" she requested urgently. Something was not right here. He consented and led her and her confused mind to up to his office. Once the door was shut and they were seated did he speak.

"Would you like a cup of tea?" he offered hospitably. Her throat was dry, but something told her that tea was not going to help it. She shook her head no and tried to organize her thoughts to be able to speak clearly.

"What did you need to speak to be about Miss…?" he trailed off.

"Granger, Hermione Granger," she informed him.

"Yes Miss Granger, where are you from and why are you here?" he instructed.

"First, could you tell me what the date is?" she needed to know.

"November 21, 1944, oh my, are you lost?" he asked in worry. Hermione imagined that all color had drained from her face.

"More than you could possibly know sir," she barely whispered. She was fifty-three years in the past, FIFTY-THREE YEARS! What was she going to do? Could she get home? What if everyone was looking for her? Poor Ron and Harry, they would be devastated.

"What do you mean by that?" Dumbledore inquired fearfully having heard her whisper. She swallowed dryly and met his scared gaze.

"I don't know how, and I don't know why, but for some reason, this book has brought me here. I'm a student at Hogwarts, but in 1997," she confessed.

"Well," Dumbledore finally spoke after a few minutes of thoughtful silence, "that is quite a problem. I will confess, I have no idea how to get you back. All text on time travel is stored deep within the Ministry, and no one practices it now. I promise I will do what I can to find a way, but for now, it would be best if you continued your life here for now." The importance of his words sank in and she nodded in understanding. Perhaps now she would find her purpose. "What year and house are you in?"

"Seventh year in Gryffindor," she answered. "I'm top of my class and a prefect. I would have been Head Girl, but do to… certain complications I chose to give it up. Believe me though, it has nothing to do with bad behavior," she assured him.

"That's excellent news then. We are in need of a Head Girl as it is," he informed her. Her head shot up for an explanation. It was a month and a half into the school year; surely, they already had a Head Girl. "Our former Head resigned because she 'couldn't tolerate staying in the same room with that thing' any longer. I fear she and the Head Boy had there differences and were unable to sort them out. Everyone else eligible has revoked the job. Are you interested?" he asked almost desperately. Whoever this person was, sounded a right git, but she had had her fair share of gits and felt up to the task.

"Absolutely, I'd be honored," she accepted.

"Excellent, I will go inform the Headmaster. If I could get a list of your classes then I can fill out the appropriate paper work and register you," he requested gently. She quickly jotted down her schedule and he looked it over. "Yes, this will be no problem whatsoever," he assured her. "Now, as you know, you cannot tell anyone else your true story. I will forge your records saying you have transferred from the Belfast Academy of Sorcery. Due to recent attacks in the area from Grindelwald, your parents have sent you here for safety. Is the clear?" She nodded an affirmative. "Good, it's settled. Now, the Head Dormitory is on the fourth floor, behind the Dancing Bear painting. They password is Serpent's Grin," he told her. He quickly flicked his wand and continued. "Everything you will need is up and waiting for you. If you will excuse me, I will be with the Headmaster. Feel free to come to me if you need anything, though I'm sure your classmates will gladly help you out as well." They left the office and parted ways.

Hermione felt like a great weight was lifted off her chest now. Dumbledore had things in control and she knew he would find a way to get her back. For now, all she had to worry about was keeping her secret safe and fitting in, possibly one of the easiest things she had ever had to do. She found the portrait and gave it the password, forcing it to open up. She climbed in and looked around at the multi-colored room. Everything was red, blue, green, or yellow for each of the four Houses. Two yellow armchairs were positioned near the large fireplace with the Hogwarts Shield hung above the mantle. The carpet was a rich blue and each of the four walls was a different color. On the adjacent wall, two doors led up to dormitories. However, what caught her interest the most was the green sofa, or more accurately, the resident of aforementioned sofa. A boy with jet black, wavy hair lay against the arm reading, his back to her. She quietly approached him, deeply sorry to have to interrupt him. She knew how annoying it was to be disturbed while reading, but this was important and she was sure he was a reasonable young man who would see her predicament.

"Um, excuse me," she made herself known. With an irritated sigh, he uncovered his face and met her with a piercing stare. Unlike Dumbledore, no warmth was in it. Suddenly, she deeply regretted her decision of disturbing him. "Sorry for the interruption, but I just wanted to let you know I'm the new Head Girl. I just transferred here and was offered the position so I took it obviously, so uh yeah," she was rambling unintelligently and cleared her throat quickly to try to regain some self-respect. "I'm Hermione Granger. I'm in Gryffindor" she introduced herself, offering her hand. He stared at it for a minute and then glanced back up at her.

"Charming," he drawled bored and continued to glare. She awkwardly pulled her hand back. So maybe he was not as pleasant as she hoped he was.

"So, uh, what House are you in?" she inquired. He was clearly becoming more annoyed.

"You're not going to go away are you," he stated. She gave him an apologetic look.

"Listen, I really am sorry about this, but I figured we should be properly introduced if we are living together this year," she almost pleaded with him.

"Tom Riddle, Slytherin House," he returned her introduction. She stopped breathing, but realized it would be a fatal mistake if he noticed so she faked a smile.

"Nice to meet you Tom," she told him. "I'll let you get back now," she dismissed herself. She quickly walked around the couch and headed for the doors when she realized she did not know which one was hers. She did not want to ask Tom, but it really was not an option to guess and then walk into his room.

"Take the left," he told her without taking his dark eyes off the page. She thanked him and ran up the stairs, slamming her bedroom door shut behind her. She threw herself onto her bed and stared in horror at the ceiling.

_Tom Riddle, future Dark Lord, my roommate, just my luck. How in the world did this happen? Oh Merlin, I won't ever make it back will I? He'll probably kill me before then. No that's nonsense, he can't do anything like that here. Then again, he did release a giant snake on the school and Myrtle died. What am I going to do? Sharing a common room with Voldemort the antisocial wonder that's just great. Hey! That's it! I could befriend him and save him from going bad! First I should probably find a way to contact Harry and Ron and let them know I'm fine._

She sat up and left the room hoping a way would present itself. Admittedly, nothing came to mind at first. She sat in the library for a while running through possible ideas. Her first instinct was to leave a letter in a book, but with Ron, there was no certainty he would find it. Plus, someone else could easily find it between now and then. No that was not at all a possibility. She left the library, slightly amazed that for once it did not have the answer she needed. She wandered done the staircase lazily, wondering what to do. She reached the second floor and soon found herself outside the girl's bathroom. A fond smile lit her face as she remembered brewing Polyjuice Potion in there in their second year. Myrtle had quite a thing for Harry. It hit her then. Myrtle! She could pass on a message through the ghost. Ghosts had excellent memories and would easily remember a few words they had to pass on in several years. She ran in quickly, excited about her plan.

"Myrtle?" she called softly. The girl floated over the top of her cubicle curious.

"What do you want? Come to make fun of my glasses too?" Myrtle asked bitterly.

"No, of course not, they are quite nice actually," Hermione complimented her, making the ghost smile. "Actually, I need a favor. Would you be willing to give someone a message for me?"

"Sure, if you promise to visit once a week that is," Myrtle bargained. Hermione quickly agreed. "Very well, who am I looking for?"

"On November 22, 1997 tell Ron Weasely and Harry Potter that Hermione is okay. She was sent back to 1944 by a book to help solve our problem. Got that?" she asked. Myrtle nodded thoughtfully.

"Who should I say sent this message?" she inquired.

"Hermione Granger," the brunette answered.

"The Hermione from the message?" Myrtle asked excitedly.

"Yes, but I don't want anyone else to know except you, Harry, and Ron, alright?" Hermione informed her worriedly. Myrtle did a mock salute in understanding. "Thank you so much. I wish I could stay, but I have some stuff to do. I will talk to you next week," Hermione assured her. The ghost threatened to forget the message if she did not. Hermione left the bathroom, glad that was over with. Now, all she needed to do now was befriend Tom Riddle, easier said than done.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N So thank you to all my reviewers! I love hearing from you and appreciate your criticism. So this chapter is Harry and Ron's reaction to Hermione being gone. After this it will be primarily Tom and Hermione chapters for awhile.**_

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter. If I did, things would be a bit crazier**.

"Shouldn't Hermione be back by now?" Harry asked as midnight arrived.

"You'd think, but then again, you know how Hermione is in a library," Ron laughed gently. Harry could not argue with that. He believed Hermione would live in a library if given the opportunity.

"Do you think she might have found something useful?" Harry suggested.

"Maybe, do you want to go check?" Ron offered.

"Yeah, let's," and the two ran off. Luckily, they did not have a curfew to worry about so no Invisibility cloak was needed. They skidded into the library and headed back to Hermione's usual haunt, but it was empty.

"She's not here," Ron stated the obvious.

"Really Ron, I was sure she was right in front of us," Harry teased him. "Come on, let's find her then." The two boys searched the room, leaving no aisle unchecked.

"Did you find her?" Harry asked when they met up again.

"No, do you think we missed her?" Ron suggested.

"I don't think so. Hermione rarely takes the secret passages and we came the main way. Maybe Madame Pince will have some idea where she went off to," Harry reasoned. Ron paled slightly.

"I doubt it. Besides, I wouldn't talk to her if my life depended on it. We can find Hermione on our own," Ron decided resolutely. Harry just shrugged and followed Ron out into the corridor. They split up and searched the castle from top to bottom. They found no one except a few teachers and the Bloody Baron. Ron was on the verge of madness.

"Harry, what if they got her? What if she's hurt or… or… Harry we need to find her!" Ron shouted, grabbing Harry by the front of his robes and pulling him to eye level.

"I know Ron, I know, but just calm down. It's very possible that we just missed her. It's a big school and we can't be everywhere at once. Besides, it is possible that she's in her room and you know we can't go up there," Harry tried to assure him while calming his own panicked mind. Ron let go of his friend's robes and slowed his breathing a bit. "Now, why don't we just go check the map and finish our search once and for all," Harry decided. The two dashed up to Gryffindor Tower and into their dormitory. They slowed their pace and quietly crept to Harry's trunk so as not to disturb their roommates. Harry pulled out the Marauder's Map and muttered the password, or phrase really, and watched the ink slowly appear. He searched for Hermione's dot and slowly the little color in his face drained away.

"Harry, where is she?" Ron asked, the panic back in his tone.

"I-I don't know. She's not showing up!" Harry chocked. His throat was becoming insanely dry and the room seemed to be growing smaller by the second. Voldemort had his friend. That was the only explanation. Why else would she not show up?

"She… she's not in the Room of Requirement is she?" Ron asked obviously trying to think logically and optimistically about this.

"No, I got Lupin to update it over the summer," Harry shot down that theory. He pointed bitterly to the newest addition of the map. There was almost no hope now. "We need to tell McGonagall now!" Harry said resolutely. If there was anyway of saving her, this was their best chance. They dashed from the room and flew down the many floors. Nothing was going to stop them from getting to the Headmistress's office, or so they thought.

"Hello Harry," Moaning Myrtle greeted Harry as she floated next to the running boys.

"Can't talk now Myrtle, sorry," Harry gasped out of breath. She acted like she did not hear him though.

"I have a message for you. I think you'll be surprised," she giggled knowingly.

"We don't have time! Voldemort has Hermione and we need to save her!" he yelled frustrated at her stubbornness. This simply made her laugh more.

"THAT'S NOT FUNNY!" Ron yelled louder.

"Oh, but it is. No one has Hermione. I know where she is, and she sends a message," she told them. The two skid to a halt and stared at her expectantly. She cleared her voice in a slightly Umbridge-y way and began. "Hermione wants you to know that a book has sent her back fifty-three years and she is alright for now. Also, she thinks she has a solution to your problem. That's it!" Harry and Ron just stared at her blankly.

"That's your message! WHAT IS THIS A JOKE?" Ron roared.

"That's not funny Myrtle," Harry spat lividly. "Come on Ron." They ran off again.

"Oh well, I told them at least," she decided indifferently. After all, her mission had been to relay the message, not convince them of anything.

"Professor McGonagall!" Harry and Ron yelled as they practically beat down her door.

"Potter, Weasley, what is it?" she asked sleepily. They burst into her office and quickly explained the situation. It took a minute for her sleepy mind to comprehend what they were saying but she soon kicked into defense mode.

"Don't worry, I'll send a message to HQ and someone will alert the rest of- what's this?" she asked aloud as she pulled a worn letter from the desk drawer.

_Headmistress Minerva McGonagall_

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

_Head Office_

The address was in green ink and the handwriting was too familiar. She tore open the envelope and gasped at the contents.

"Professor?" Harry asked curiously. What did the note contain?

"Um, it seems that Miss Granger has let this time. She's back in 1944," she explained unbelievingly.

"No, that's not possible," Ron could not believe.

"I think we can trust Dumbledore's word," Minerva told them as she showed them his signature. Sure enough, it was authentic.

"Holy sh- fudge," Ron quickly corrected himself as he refused to swear in front of a teacher.

"So Myrtle was telling the truth," Harry realized.

"Myrtle? As is Moaning Myrtle?" the Headmistress asked confused.

"Yeah, Hermione sent us a message. We didn't believe her though," Harry explained.

"How is she going to get back?" Ron inquired suddenly.

"I'm sure she has a plan," she assured the boys.

"No, Hermione would have told us about something like this. What did Myrtle say happened?" Ron asked Harry.

"A book took her there," Harry answered.

"Oh dear, well it is possible that the book provides a way to return. However, I think it would be best if we found a way to get her back just in case," Minerva reasoned.

"I just want to make sure she's safe," Ron almost cried. Harry put a hand supportively on Ron's shoulder. He knew it had to be hard for his friend to be separated from her. He too missed her and wished that she was back so they could protect her. But also, he wanted to know what this problem was. The only one he could think of was Voldemort and she could not help with that in 1944.


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N- YAY WE'RE DONE WITH HARRY AND RON FOR A WHILE! We can go back to Tom/ Hermione interactiony goodness!!! Yes, interactiony is not a word but I don't care! So on with the show!! By the way, hpfanf, I reread the last chapters and I could not find any errors. Next time, would you mind giving some examples so I know what to look for?**_

**Disclaimer- I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER PEOPLE!!!!**

Hermione read and re-read the passage before her, but she just could not understand how the Goblin Restriction Act of 1329 and the Warlock Decree of 1731 differed. They sounded exactly the same to her so there was no way she could get a thirty centimeter comparative essay on the two laws. She sighed and rubbed her temples. For the first time in history, Hermione Granger was going to ask for help on homework! If Harry and Ron were here now, Voldemort would never have to worry about them again for they would have died of shock. She smiled at the thought of her friends. She did miss them, but she did not mind the separation if it was for their own good.

She looked around for one of her classmates, but found no one, except a certain brooding young man. But really, this was a library! One would think there was a Ravenclaw somewhere in it! Well that was not quite fair. There was a large group of four years, but they could not help her. She turned her attention towards her _favorite_ person in the world.

Admittedly, she was reluctant to approach him after yesterday. All right, so pretending to be lost in the dungeons and just conveniently turning up outside the Slytherin entrance as he was leaving was a tad extreme, but it was half his fault! If he would just loosen up and have a conversation with her that did not involve yelling or annoyed tones, she would not have to stalk him. Was it too much to ask that he be as charming a person as he was around the teachers? It is a wonder Voldemort gained any followers with this attitude! Well, the answer was not going to come to her magically, especially if she continued with this line of thought, so she gathered her supplies, walked over, and sat down next him.

"Go away Granger," he said flatly, pouring over his own texts.

"Listen Tom, I want to apologize for my behavior over the past few days. I guess I pushed too much, and came off overbearing. I promise to be more understanding of your… I'll back off," she finished as he shot her a death look.

"Great, glad to hear it. Now good bye," he dismissed her, going back to his own essay.

"Well, that wasn't the reason I came over here. Could you help me with History of Magic?" she asked, desperation and regret clearly laced in her voice.

"No," he answered simply.

"Please Tom? I really cannot do this on my own. I need your help! I have never gotten an unsatisfactory mark in anything before, and I have no intention of starting now," she begged. Tom searched her face for any sign of a lie or a plot, but could not find one. He could sympathize having always had perfect, or near perfect, marks himself. If this were for an academic purpose solely, he would help.

"Alright, what can I do for you?" he gave in. Hermione was actually surprised he did not put up more of an argument, but she was not going to protest.

"Well, I have no idea how these two differ. They sound the same to me," she admitted pointing to the appropriate page. He laughed lightly.

"At least you're not completely daft and know they are different," he told her. At the confused look on her face, he explained further. "A lot of people were saying it was the same exact thing. No one bothered to dig further and find that they are similar but have one slight difference. Even I was confused when I read this, but if you look uh," he drifted off as he dug through a pile of books, "at this here, then you will see that the 1731 Decree was an extension of the 1329 Act and kept almost all the limitations except for the ban on flying carpets. Not many people realize this is what got rid of them," he explained.

"That's the only difference?" she asked in amazement. Binns was evil! Tom nodded an affirmative. "Thank you then, it was a big help," she told him and moved down the table a bit to start her essay. For several minutes, they worked in silence, just leaving the other alone. However, Tom's desperate page flipping, and extremely quiet swearing broke her attention. "Need help?" she offered.

"No," he said too quickly. She gave him an amused look.

"You don't need help or you don't want me to help?" she asked. His face clearly stated the second. "Stop being so proud and let me look at it. Maybe I know the answer," she pressed. He refused her offer again. She shrugged and watched him go back to searching. After five minutes, she gave up waiting on him and summoned his essay. He tried to grab for it, but was not fast enough. "You're taking Muggle History?" she asked in disbelief. Did Voldemort not hate muggles? He snatched the parchment away irritably.

"I said I don't want your help! Now stay out of my business," he hissed and stalked away. Hermione sighed for the millionth time that day. She could not do this. Making friends had never been her best subject, but she did not know she was this bad. She had tried everything she could think of, but nothing seemed to work. Maybe she could not do this.


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N- GASP! AN UPDATE!!!! Clearly, a sign of the apocalypse. So, I hope you like this. We finally have a plotline! Anyone want to guess the ending?**_

_**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter**_

Tom stared at his essay in complete disgust. Never in his worst nightmares had he received a troll. How was this possible? He was top of his class for goodness sakes! Top students did not receive anything below an acceptable. He was enraged, stupid Potter and his lies. Why did he not have the sense to realize Lawrence was simply showing off again?

"Hi Tom," Hermione greeted him simply as she passed through the Common Room. He glared at her back, refusing to acknowledge her. She was another reason for his irritation. He simple could not understand her! She was terrified during their first meeting and then ten minutes later she was trying to be all nice and friendly to him. Then, over the next four days, she started trying even harder to get on his good side. She gave him the impression that his friendship would save the world or something equally ridiculous. Well he was not going to give in to her. He had learned long ago that no one wanted to be your friend just because; they always wanted something in return. Now was no different. There had to be a reason she wanted to be his friend. Really, there could be no other explanation for why she wanted to be _friends_ with someone as anti-social as he was. Darn it, he'd found a question he did not know that answer to. Nothing was more irritating to him than a mystery. He was going to find out her motives now.

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Hermione crumpled up her tenth piece of parchment in disgust. She simply could not concentrate on her Potions homework. A certain future dark lord downstairs was crowding her thoughts. He would not warm up to her! She kept her word and backed off, and was now following her lab partner's, Sara's, advice of "if you ignore him, he'll become interested." Her guarantee that it never fails was well, failing! Did she need to stop speaking to him all together? She flopped down onto her bed and screamed into a pillow. If only he could be like Ron, or Harry even! Becoming friends with Draco Malfoy was probably easier than this. She was going to strangle something soon if it kept going like this. A knock sounded.

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Tom stood at her door, his failed history paper in one hand, and prepared to knock. His hand was an inch from the door when a muffled scream broke through the wooden barrier. He smirked darkly at her frustration. Clearly, whatever her plan, which he would soon uncover, was not going smoothly. He loved it when he made his peers' lives difficult. Although he would never openly admit it, it was his revenge for his miserable life. He had suffered 24/7 for eleven years; they could bear ten minutes of irritation.

He replaced his usual unfeeling mask he hid behind and knocked gently. A small squeal of glee managed to reach him and he rolled his eyes at the childishness of the noise. Hermione's hurried footsteps approached the door and for a minute, nothing happened. Tom imagined that she was checking her appearance as the woman species tends to do. The door opened casually and the brunette looked up at him in a way she thought was uncaring. He could see the hope in her eyes though. Let the show begin.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you, but I would like to apologize for him behavior the other day in the library. I should not have been so harsh, you were only trying to help," he told her smoothly, just as he had rehearsed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hermione was flabbergasted. Never in a million years did she expect Tom Riddle to apologize for his actions. This must had to have been unheard of. Maybe he was ill, or under the Imperious curse. Come to think of it, the library shelves were a bit wobbly. Perhaps one fell on his head and he was suffering brain damage! Oh well, this would make life a bit easier now.

"You don't need to apologize, I understand. I was being overbearing and forced my way into your business. I should've respected your wishes and left you alone. Besides, I'm sure you were just trying to hide the fact that you were secretly taking the class because of how your house mates would take the news. Yeah, I know you are not openly enrolled in the class; Lawrence told me you weren't in there. Actually, he laughed at the idea and called me crazy," she explained at his inquisitive look.

"Still, I could have been a bit more amiable. Let's face it, I've been nothing but rude to you since you arrived so shall we start over?" Tom suggested. Hermione stopped breathing. He held out a hand. "Hi, I'm Tom Riddle, Head Boy from Slytherin. Welcome to Hogwarts and congratulations on making the Head Girl position," he reintroduced himself. She hesitantly took his hand while searching his face for any hints of deception. He seemed sincere though, so she breathed easier and managed a smile as she returned his greetings.

"Hello Tom, nice to meet you. I'm Hermione Granger from Gryffindor, and I just transferred here from the Belfast Academy of Sorcery. I look forward to working with you," she told him. He nodded with a very dignified air.

"Same here, now that that is over, there was another reason I came up," he informed her. She shot him a curious look, she could not think of any other reason for him to willing contact her. Then again, this was the new and improved Tom Riddle, so of course she could not think of a reason. "I am in need of your knowledge," he told her, handing her the atrocious history paper. "If you would please correct this for me, I would be very appreciative." He turned to leave, but she stopped him.

"Wait, perhaps we should go over it together. Sometimes it is easier to explain a mistake verbally than in writing," she reasoned. Plus, she really needed to know what had caused the academic god, Tom Riddle, receive a 'T' on homework.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tom seriously wanted to hex her at the moment. She was not following his plan! She was suppose to take the essay, correct it, while figuring out that he was deep down trying to extend a hand of friendship. This was too much! This would make him move the trap too fast. But, then again, to refuse would seem rude and shatter any allusion he had created, and perhaps, she would think him nicer than he wanted and there for reveal what she wanted soon. So it was not a totally lost situation. Still, he did not like this. He plastered a small, not too out of character smile on his face and graciously accepted the offer with the excuse that he was willing to do anything to further improve his knowledge or some nonsense like that. She stepped aside and he realized that this meeting was to be conducted in her room… her very Gryffindor-y room. He forced back his gag reflex and entered. There was far too much red and gold in such a small space for his tastes. If this did not hurry up, he would end up suffering from Slytherin withdrawal.

Hermione perched herself on the bed and he pulled up her desk chair across form her. She read over the essay, and then once more. Finally on the third reading, as tears of laughter where filling her eyes, he cleared his throat in a mildly annoyed manner, telling her to get on with it. She composed herself before speaking. He knew this was going to end with a hurt ego.

"I presume this was supposed to be about World War One right?" she asked.

"What do you mean 'supposed'? That is very clearly the last war," he told her bitterly.

"Well, you see there were no ninjas in this war. Also, the Archduke was not a cat, and he was not killed in a freak ballet accident. A giant spider did not attack Russia," she informed him.

"But that information came from a very reliable source," he assured her.

"Not so reliable apparently, where did you get this nonsense?" she asked.

"Lawrence Potter," he answered. She resembled a fish gasping for air. If only that was due to a misfortunate spell.

"You took the word of Lawrence Potter over something in a book? You guys hate each other! What were you possibly thinking? Why were you even talking to him about this in the first place?" she interrogated him incredulously. If he was weaker, he knew he would have been blushing. She eyed him curiously, leaving him no choice but to answer.

"He wasn't actually talking to me. I overheard him bragging to his friends that his father fought of a legion of ninjas single-handedly, stopped an acromantula from attacking St. Petersburg, and some other nonsense. Who was the Archduke and how did he really die then?" he asked, hoping that she would not know.

"Just the heir to the Austria-Hungarian throne, and he was shot by a Serb assassin, I think, but don't change the subject! You need to know that Lawrence Potter has a very large head, and makes up a bunch of nonsense. He tried to tell me that he once fought twenty vampires with a broken arm, and a training wand in his second year. Obviously, very much a lie. I looked up his father's involvement in the war, and he was part of base security, he never saw real combat," she informed him. Tom now had the gasping fish look, but quickly realized it and tried to take back part of his dignity.

"I knew that bits were highly exaggerated, but I figured he would not down right lie to his friends. Oh well, I guess this is my punishment for not bothering to check my facts. Care to save me the trouble and tell me how the war started?" he asked her charmingly. She blushed a bit and agreed. She started talking, and a great smirk split his face. He had her in the palm of his hand.


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N- So, I have finally decided on the ending, or something very close to the ending. Hope you like it; I want there to be something interesting in this, like with **__**Have You Ever?**__** There was something interesting going on so I want to try it out. Still a few mechanical things to think of, but whatever, that's a while away. Dunno why I'm rambling on so nonsensically. I bet you that I change my idea and the ending is different. Okay, I'll shut up now and get on with this.**_

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter. If so, I would not be writing this!**

"I do not want to go to Transfiguration!" Hermione complained to Ann, the only person she had actually opened up to in this time.

"You will do fine on the test. You mastered that spell in two tries!" the tiny girl with glasses too large for her face assured Hermione.

"Yeah I know, but I don't want to go," the brunette continued. Ann shrugged and went back to her lunch. She was not the most talkative of girls and did not know how to sooth Hermione's nerves. "I'm being dramatic again aren't I?"

"Yes you are," Ann said simply. Hermione nodded and placed her forehead on the plate before her.

"Hey Hermione," Tom greeted her from behind. "Thanks for the help. I got an O!" he told her excitedly, holding up the American Civil War Essay. Hermione spun around, and noticed the bold 'O' at the top.

"That's great Tom! Excellent job," she congratulated him.

"Thanks," he replied with a smirk, his equivalent to a smile. "Well, I should probably head back over to my table. If looks could kill, I'd be dead a million times over," he excused himself. Hermione looked over at Slytherin Table and saw the fiery glares Tom's housemates were giving him.

"Alright, I'll see you in Transfiguration," she called to his retreating back, earning a small wave. She smiled to herself, pleased with the progress he had made in just two weeks. He was really warming-up to her. Sure, compared to anyone else, he seemed like an iceman, but for Tom Riddle, he was being friendly.

"What was that about?" Ann asked, breaking into her musings. Hermione startled and knocked over her glass of pumpkin juice. "You need to stop staring into space," she commented mockingly.

"Sometimes I think you should have been in Slytherin," Hermione mumbled as she cast a spell to clean the table.

"Yeah, well I have a personality and do not like to torture small children so I lost the spot. Now, what was this about? Tom was excited over an O, yet he always gets top grades, and why was he telling you?" she pressed the original question.

"He, uh, is taking a private class and was struggling with it so I agreed to tutor him," Hermione explained vaguely. Ann stared at her pointedly.

"Tom Riddle, the god of Slytherin and the Head Boy, struggled with a class?" she gasped, causing the people around her to stare that the two girls. "What class brought him off his high pedestal?" Hermione gave the others a dirty look and they went back to their lunch, though Hermione knew they were still listening.

"I would rather not say, it's a delicate subject for him. If you _really_ must know, go ask him yourself," she decided. Tom was too close to Voldemort still, and revealing that he was taking Muggle History would undo all progress. Ann shrugged, and turned back to her meal. Hermione followed suit, but did not get anywhere as a certain raven-haired boy at a certain table caused a scene.

"I will _not_ explain anything to you Malfoy!" Tom yelled and stormed out, hair askew, and face flushed with anger. His footsteps were light and brisk though more fitting, than stomps. His hand was clutched around his wand and everyone in his path quickly backed away to avoid being hexed.

"I'll see you in class," Hermione dismissed herself and chased after him to everyone's surprise. No one interrupted Tom Riddle when he was mad.

XXXXXXXX

Tom made his way towards Slytherin Table, openly smirking at Hermione's gullibility. She seriously thought he was her friend! People are foolish, and that is why he needed to dominate them. It was because of people like her, that muggles are considered free people. It sickened him. Still, despite how awful it was being around her, he had yet to learn her purpose for him. She was a worthy mystery, and deserved his time and effort. Perhaps she could join the Death Eaters afterwards. It was an idea.

He took his seat between Abraxas Malfoy and Orion Black, and rolled up his essay, slipping it into a pocket. He had been hoping to avoid a conversation about his actions, but clearly, they were not prepared to drop the subject. The many glares penetrating his skull from his followers were a subtle hint.

"You know, that look is not very becoming of any of you," he remarked dryly. They did not falter though. Although Tom, or Lord Voldemort as they called him, was their master, he had just committed the ultimate treason and they were not prepared to let him just get away with this. After all, his status here was still quite precarious being a half-blood and all.

"What was that about Riddle?" Malfoy spat. Tom was taken aback by the viciousness of the blonde's tone. He had not been spoken to like that since fifth year. He hid the surprise though and schooled his features back into their emotionless mask.

"It's none of your business," he commented normally. This was not going to rest though.

"That did not look like nothing," Orion added. Murmurs of agreement filled the air. "You appeared to be enjoying that Gryffindor's company," he added. Tom smirked ever so slightly, a dark smirk that induced fear in the others' hearts.

"What can I say, I'm a decent actor," he shrugged. There was a moment's silence before Abraxas did something entirely rash and stupid. He quickly grabbed the essay from Tom's pocket and started to unfurl it.

"What is this?" he asked and held it out of reach as Tom snatched for it. "A love note perhaps?" he taunted. Tom's anger flared and he vowed to make life miserable for the boy. He struggled to grab the essay, but Malfoy had turned his back to him and managed to finish opening the scroll. His grey eyes drifted down the parchment and he froze, which allowed Tom to turn him around and snatch the paper away.

"You… you're taking… oh Merlin… you're taking Muggle History?" he chocked out. What little color was in Tom's face drained out as everyone nearby turned to look at the raven-haired boy?

"Why Riddle?" Black asked aghast. Tom chewed on the inside of his cheek for a while as he attempted to pierce Orion's head with his gaze.

"I have my reasons, we will leave it at that," he answered coldly. He was so close to snapping. One more word and-

"You have to explain it to us, we're your friends!" Malfoy unwisely pressed. Tom shot up out of seat.

"I will _not_ explain anything to you Malfoy!" he yelled, silencing the hall. His hand clutched his wand and he seriously considered killing the boy here and now, but his reason kicked in and he knew that would do nothing useful. 'Still,' he thought as he walked away, 'it would feel good.'

He stalked out of the Great Hall, wishing beyond belief that he could hex someone, however everyone was in the Hall. Perhaps Peeves was around. The poltergeist was a good outlet for his anger. Yes, he would find the little pest before his next class and vent. Oh darn, he had Dumbledore next, just what he needed. He kicked the stair above him. Today just was not his day!

"Tom wait!" a familiar voice called from below. He turned slightly to find Hermione Granger running after him. He did not have the patience to put up with her. He continued to climb the staircase, hoping she would get the message that he wanted her to leave, but he had underestimated her stubbornness. "Tom, please wait a minute!"

"Leave me alone!" he growled. She leveled with him and grabbed his arm to stop him. He tried to wrench it away, but she was strong.

"Tell me what happened first!" she demanded. He sighed in resignation. He recognized that tone, having used it many times before himself, and knew she was not leaving until he explained.

"Some of my housemates are overly curious and pried into my life a little too much," he said quickly. He turned to walk away, but she continued to hold on to his arm.

"That is not an explanation. Now, what happened? Give me specifics!" she urged. He gave her the same look he had given Black, but she simply raised an eyebrow in a very teacher-like way. It bugged him.

"Alright, fine, Malfoy and the others just had to know why I was gladly associating with a Gryffindor, but I refused to explain because it's none of their business, and they would not understand. Then _dear_ Malfoy grabbed my essay and revealed to the entire table what class I was taking! He just could not leave it alone. I told him I had my reasons, but he just would not take no for an answer. It's my life, he does not need to know every little thing about it! I just-" he stopped his ranting and Hermione pulled him into a bone-crushing hug.

"Oh Tom, I'm so sorry! That must be awful. I know how stupid Slytherins can be at times, prejudice gits. But you're right, you don't have to explain anything to anyone if you don't want to. If they were really your friends, they would have accepted your choice!" she told him as if he were a small child.

"Yeah, right… they're not my uh… could you let go?" he asked as he tried to remove her arms from around his middle. He was starting to feel uncomfortably warm and tingly. "Hermione?' he asked cautiously. The girl's eyes were shut, and a small smile played on her lips. She looked like she was about to fall asleep! "Hermione, get off me!" he commanded. The girl snapped back to reality and let go quickly, a heavy blush coloring her cheeks. "What was that about?" Tom asked curiously, and slightly humored.

"I- I uh, it's just that… uh, you're rather comfy," she mumbled. Tom's eyebrows just shot off his head and through the ceiling. That was something he had not expected to here.

"I'm comfy?" he verified. He just wanted to make sure his hearing was fine.

"Yeah," she answered with a nod, "You reminded me of my friend Ron," she explained. Tom nodded, though clearly he did not understand.

"You cling to your friends often?" he asked horrified. If so, he would need to rethink his plan.

"I wasn't clinging," she protested quietly. A smirk lit his face that clearly said in the most sarcastic of tones, 'of course not.' "Really, I- okay, maybe I was," she admitted.

"Very good, now that you admit it, should I expect many attacks now that we are," oh he hated to say the next word, "friends?" Hermione seemed to cheer up to hear him say that though.

"No, I don't normally do that to my friends. Ron and I were going out so that's why I know how he feels. And I thought you needed a hug, then I got lost in memory row," she explained. He nodded again, though this time in understanding. Female creatures were normally very sentimental creatures and this one was no different. Oh well, he was just glad he would not be hugged every other moment of the day.

XXXXXXXXX

Hermione continued to walk along Tom. It was odd, discussing Ron with him. She had mentioned her friends a few times, but this was the longest conversation ever. Hermione was glad she could feel comfortable talking to him about them. It was a good sign in his progress. From, what she had heard, Tom normally did not listen to other people on personal things. Maybe she would be able to leave soon. She really wanted to see her friends again. Her smile fell as she thought about her friends who were a lifetime away almost.

"What's wrong?" Tom asked. He must have noticed her change in moods.

"Nothing," she muttered sadly. Hermione saw the amusement in his eyes and knew something bad was going to happen.

"I poured my soul out to you, now you have to do the same. Why do you look like they just cancelled school?" he pressed. Hermione thought this sounded like something the guys would have said. Tears started to fill her eyes, and she pushed them back.

"I miss them," she confessed as the salty water began to roll down her cheeks. "I just wish I could be with them and know they were safe. They were the first real friends I had and became my family at school. Now… now they are so far away," she cried. She felt a pair of strong arms pull her into an awkward hug and she gratefully accepted it.

"They aren't that far away, and you could still write," Tom suggested.

"I wish," she mumbled into his shoulder, but froze up immediately. She could not let him know about her past!

"Excuse me?" he asked. He had heard her. She did some quick thinking.

"I just wish you were right about being able to write," she lied… sort of.

"Oh, why can't you?" he continued.

"The school has a strict policy about owls. You can only send emergency letters from your family. They don't want us to be distracted by mail," she answered. She decided he bought it when he did not ask any more questions.

"You alright now?" he asked when she let go. She wiped the remainder of the tears from her face and gave him a thankful smile.

"Yeah, thanks," she told him.

"I though I'd return the favor. Just don't get use to it," he warned. She nodded and they continued on to their next class, though Hermione did not notice the disgusted and confused look on her companion's face.


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N- Soooooooo sorry this took forever and half to get up! School is killer and it's only bound to get worse. I will update asap though! Thank you for your patience. It's nice to not have people yelling at you to update. Oh, and it takes about twenty-six M&M's to spell out Tom. Yes, random info.**_

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter. They belong to someone far more talented than I. **

Tom Riddle sat in Transfiguration after completing both parts of his exam perfectly. Really, human transformations were ridiculously easy. He had them down pat in fourth year. He liked to use this time to clear his mind, and reflect on his life. Usually his thoughts were on his plans to take over the wizarding world and cleanse it of all the mudbloods, or about how to better gain control over his minions, both perfectly normal topic of thought. However, today he was thinking of something, or someone else. Hermione Granger seemed to be on his mind quite a bit since she showed up three weeks ago. She was an enigma, and although he liked puzzles, she was beginning to frustrate him. He just wanted to know what she wanted from him, let her know it, whatever it was, was not going to happen, and stay away from her. Even he was not this mean. All his followers knew what was expected of them. He, on the other hand, was left in the dark. He did not know what more he could do! Did he need to jump in front of a curse to prove his "loyalty and friendship?" This was just getting ridiculous.

The girl of his thoughts happened too look up from her overly long essay to see him staring across the aisle at her and gave him a warm smile before going back to work. That warm tingly feeling he had felt earlier rose up again and he glared down at his desk. No one should have had that affect on him. The last time he had felt like that, had been when he was four years-old and he thought Andy was his friend. The warm, happy feeling went away after that, when Andy stole his teddy bear and managed to get it run over by a truck. He had laughed when Tom had cried over the torn remains. From that day on, Tom learned never to trust anyone again. Now, this girl was going against that lesson. He felt happy around her, but why?

'She's your friend!' a weak, little voice in the back of his mind. Tom's head fell off his hand. That was impossible. He had no friends. Tom Riddle needed no one to be satisfied with life. Emotional attachments were a sign of weakness.

'That's not true! You had friends at one time! You were happy before this place! Let her in!' the voice said again, but something came and squashed it. Probably his common sense, he never liked people. Still, those last two thoughts were odd. He had not been happy before here. He remembered how he was alienated at the orphanage because of his powers. Moreover, let Hermione in? What was this nonsense? How could some form of him possibly consider this? Perhaps he was confounded. Tom laughed silently to himself. That was ridiculous. No, he was just a bit off today that was all. Still, this was just creepy.

He pulled out a bit of parchment and began drawling random things. A snake here, a skull there, a teddy bear… wait, that was odd. He quickly scribbled that out and shoved the offending paper deep into his bag. Yes, he was very off. He straightened up to preserve his masculinity, because obviously everyone saw what he drew. He drummed his fingertips on the desk quickly and looked around. Everyone was still working and was not giving him a bit of attention so he relaxed and went back to thinking. His mind drifted over a few little things, such as how ugly Dumbledore's robes were, how dull this class was, how nice Hermione felt. He buried his head in his arms and mentally cursed himself. He was Lord Voldemort; he should not be having these kinds of thoughts. He was becoming a silly teenage boy. He sat up and rubbed his temples as a small headache began. Winter break could not come soon enough. He needed time to get himself in order. Two weeks alone would do him wonders! Somewhere in the farthest cavern of his mind, the little voice laughed.

XXXXXXX

The bell rang and Hermione finished her essay quickly. She felt she had not fully explained her thesis. The question had been "_What is the key element of human transformations?" _but the thing was, there were several. The intent of changing something had to be there. Any hesitation and it would all go wrong. Vision was key. You had to know what the result should look like. Then there was concentration and determination. So clearly, she had to put this all down on her test. A meter essay just did not do the subject justice. She sighed and placed the scrolls of parchment on Professor Dumbledore's desk while ignoring the unbelieving stares of her classmates. Thirty centimeters was the required length.

"Were you planning on writing a book?" Ann jested as she and Hermione packed their stuff away. Hermione shot the girl a deathly glare that caused Ann to break out in laughter. "I think you're the one who should have been in Slytherin," she giggled. Hermione sighed as they left the classroom.

"I failed that test Ann," she moaned. Ann slapped her arm, slightly exasperated at her friend.

"You did not fail! There is no way you could have. No one could have written that much nonsense. You must have made a few good points in it!" Ann declared. Hermione simply shrugged.

"Yeah, there was some good stuff, but the ending was so rushed and thrown together. He's sure to dock me points for that," she argued.

"Not at all, half the class can't write well," Ann pointed out. Hermione allowed the subject to drop and changed to something more pleasant.

"So what are you doing for the holidays?" she inquired. Hermione gave a small, non-committed noise.

"I guess I'm staying here. What about you?" she returned.

"I'm going home. Do you want to come?" the other girl offered. Hermione was sorely tempted. It would have been the next best thing to spending Christmas with her family or the Weasleys. However, if she was going to change Tom by the end of the year, she needed to spend as much time with him as possible.

"Sorry, but I have some stuff that needs to be done and I could use the peace," she admitted. It was not a lie! She did need to get stuff done, i.e. transforming Tom, and she could more without the usual chaos of the school. Still, Ann could not know that.

"You realize you work too much Hermione? You need a break!" Ann pressed the situation. Hermione just laughed softly.

"So I've been told, but really, I need to get this done, or at least make headway!" Hermione protested.

"Does this have to do with Riddle?" Ann asked suddenly. Hermione tripped over her feet in surprise, but Ann seemed not to notice.

"O-o-of course not!" Hermione squeaked out. She quickly cleared her voice and continued speaking. "That's silly; where did you get that idea?"

"Well, there is the little fact that you spend quite a bit of time with him and he is quite good-looking. The entire school thinks there is something going on between you two," Ann informed her. "But, as you said, there's nothing going on," she added with a smile that clearly said she did not believe her. Hermione froze.

"I do not like Tom Riddle!" she shrieked down the hall. Ann simply shrugged as she continued to walk away. This annoyed her greatly. She, Hermione Jane Granger, did not like Tom Riddle! Did she?


	7. Chapter 7

My tortured readers:

So, basically, I've lost interest with this. I had an idea of what I wanted to do with it, but then school got in the way and I managed to lose my love of the fandom, or at least the interest I had in writing this. I know it got a lot of support from you guys, and I appreciate that. I also hate to see a good story go to waste, so if anyone would like to continue with this for me, message me, I'll give you the gist of what I saw happening (believe me, it's vague, you'll be able to take a lot of creative license) and we can discuss you taking it over. Alright, but other than that, if no one wants it, I'm not updating. Sorry.

Regretfully,

moonservant


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